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Malcolm Offord: National Subsea Centre will undertake cutting edge research

Scotland Office Minister Lord Offord described the opening of the National Subsea Centre in Dyce as a "hugely exciting milestone". Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson.
Scotland Office Minister Lord Offord described the opening of the National Subsea Centre in Dyce as a "hugely exciting milestone". Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson.

Harnessing nature to create clean energy lies at the heart of the drive to net zero.

And the energy expertise developed in Aberdeen and the wider north-east is making a magnificent contribution to the transition to renewables.

The opening of the National Subsea Centre (NSC) in Dyce is a hugely exciting milestone.

It will test and develop the new technology which is needed to cut our carbon emissions.

For example, the NSC’s Subsea Simulation Tank will be a testbed for underwater robots that will help run complex machinery to convert tide and wave power into electricity.

The centre will also undertake cutting-edge research that will monitor subsea activity so that we can truly understand the best way to make the most of our natural resources while preserving the marine environment.

The multi-million pound National Subsea Centre opens its doors in Aberdeen. Lord Offord is pictured second from right. Image: Supplied by National Subsea Centre.

Other exciting initiatives include using drones to identify potential energy-generating sites, using data and digital skills in the use of renewables and creating the technology to build an integrated marine energy grid, which will support the transition to green energy.

These are just some of the ways in which the NSC will transform how we obtain our energy in the years to come.

Talent and expertise in the north-east

Crucial to this endeavour will be giving the talent and expertise in the north east the opportunity to flourish and develop this new technology.

Already we are seeing the fruits of this approach through the creating of a highly skilled digital workforce.

And as the NSC moves forward, its state-of-the-art facilities will help bring in more research staff with leading expertise.

Aberdeen’s Net Zero Technology Centre. Image: Supplied by Net Zero Technology Centre.

Furthermore, links are being built with private funders and industry as the NSC identifies the challenges ahead and how they can be tackled.

This collaborative approach can also be seen in the relationships forged between academia in the form of Robert Gordons University and Aberdeen’s Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC), which the NSC is an integral part of.

The NZTC itself is part of the Aberdeen City Region Deal, one of 12 agreements which have been forged across Scotland bringing together councils, universities, the private sector with the UK and Scottish governments.

The UK and Scottish governments are each contributing £90 million to the NZTC through the Aberdeen City Region Deal, another great example of how working in partnership reaps rewards.


Malcolm Offord is UK Government Minister for Scotland.